3LCD Technology Celebrates 20 Years

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- 3LCD, the world's leading projection technology, today is celebrating 20 years of 3LCD technology at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Since the first 3LCD projector was introduced many of the world's most-respected CE companies have introduced hundreds of projector models for conference rooms, classrooms, home theaters, houses of worship and rooms of all sizes. In 2008, 3LCD technology surpassed more than 50 million chips shipped from market-leading manufacturers.

20 Years of 3LCD Milestones and Product Innovations

    * World's first projector with this specification or capability (noted
below)

    1988:  First 3LCD projector starts shipping (Kodak, Epson production)
    1994:  VGA projector
           480p (16x9) projector
           Projector built-in document camera (Nippon Avionics)*
    1996:  SVGA projector
           Projector used integrator and polarization changing technology
           (Epson)*
    1997:  XGA projector
           PC Card Reader projector (Mitsubishi)*
    1998:  Over 1000lm
    1999:  WXGA projector
    2001:  Network projector (Epson, Sony)*
           UXGA projector (Sanyo)*
    2002:  540p projector
           1080p projector
           Contrast-ratio of 1,000:1
           1.5x zoom projector (Hitachi)*
    2003:  SXGA + projector
           2.0x zoom projector (Hitachi)*
    2004:  DVD/VHS XGA projector (EIKI)*
           Contrast-ratio of 2,000:1
    2005:  1080p PTV
           Contrast-ratio of 7,000:1
    2006:  2K1K projector
           Short throw projector; 80" diagonal in 103cm distance -- world's
           shortest (Sanyo)
           40 million chips shipped for front projectors
    2007:  DVD 720p projector (Epson)*
           Floor installation projector side (Sanyo)*
           Short throw projector; 80" diagonal in 8cm distance -- world's
           shortest (Sanyo)
           Contrast-ratio of 50,000:1
           Add HDMI 1.3a (Deep Color) support (Epson)*
    2008:  50 million chips shipped for front projectors
           Contrast-ratio of 75,000:1

    3LCD Projector Manufacturers: Looking Back and Leading Beyond

    Epson
    First 3LCD Projector: VPJ-700 (1989)
    Latest 3LCD Projector: Home Cinema 6500 UB
    -- The Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB features native 1080p resolution with the
       "C2Fine" D7 chip set, Ultra Black technology and an unprecedented
       contrast ratio of 75,000:1.  The built-in HQV Reon-VX Video Processor
       and PW390 video scaler results in superior video quality.

"The impact of 3LCD technology on the projector industry has been nothing short of revolutionary. 3LCD's ability to deliver brilliant, natural color and amazing detail to consumers and professionals alike has dramatically advanced virtually every business and entertainment projector application," said Rajeev Mishra, director, Projector Marketing and Development, Epson America. "The 20-year anniversary of 3LCD is an opportunity to showcase its tremendous value and to focus on its leadership in continuing to move this industry forward. As the number-one selling projector brand worldwide and the leading developer of 3LCDs, Epson is proud to offer this technology throughout its entire business and home entertainment projection line-up."

    Hitachi
    First 3LCD Projector: CPL500
    Latest 3LCD Projector: CP-WX410
    -- The Hitachi CP-WX410 3LCD projector offers widescreen capability and
       full connectivity. The CP-WX410 offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, 3,000 ANSI
       lumens brightness and optical zoom.

"Hitachi's utilization of 3LCD technology in its line of professional projectors clearly demonstrates that 3LCD is the most effective display technology in the industry," said John Glad, product manager, Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc., Business Group. "Hitachi has enjoyed tremendous growth with 3LCD at the core of its product offerings."

    Mitsubishi
    First 3LCD Projector: G1A Big Easy Projector (1996)
    Latest 3LCD Projector: HC7000U
    -- The HC7000U is Mitsubishi's flagship 1080p home theater projector with
       an ultra-high speed Diamond Black automatic iris that helps create a
       72,000:1 contrast ratio for rich details, deep blacks, and great depth
       and dimension.

"Mitsubishi is known for its brilliant, accurate colors and overall image quality, and 3LCD technology is a key component in achieving our high developmental imaging standards," said Wayne Kozuki, product manager, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America's Presentation Products Division. "3LCD has stood the test of time as a proven technology for 20 years, which is definitely a testament to the overall quality of 3LCD. We look forward to creating and developing innovative solutions for years to come."

    Sanyo
    First 3LCD Projector: LP-1000 (1989)
    Latest 3LCD Projector: PLC-XP200L
    -- The Sanyo PLC-XP200L is the world's first 'Quadrive' engine optical
       projector and features rich color reproduction and high brightness with
       7,000 lumens.

    EIKI
    First 3LCD Projector: LC150 (1991)
    Latest 3LCD Projector: XIP-2000
    -- The EIKI XIP-2000 offers enhanced interactivity with real-time
       annotation of images, 2000 lumens of brightness and a wide angle lens
       (100 inch at 2m distance), a perfect solution for classrooms and
       meeting rooms with limited space.

"3LCD projection continues to deliver a picture with the unequaled color saturation only possible with a transmissive imaging system," said Wayne Coombes, marketing manager, EIKI International.

    Nippon Avionics
    First 3LCD Projector: MP-90 (1994)
    Latest 3LCD Projector: iP-60
    -- The Nippon Avionics iP-60 projector features a built-in 4.13 million
       pixels document camera, 3,500 lumens and can easily project PC, video
       and DVD images.

    3LCD Technology Advantages
    -- 3-Chip Optical Engine: All 3LCD projectors use a 3-chip optical engine
       to deliver incredibly bright, true-to-life color
    -- High Color Light Output: 3LCD projectors consistently deliver high
       Color and White Light Output so images, video and text always look
       their very best.
    -- No Color Wheel: 3LCD projectors do not rely on a spinning color wheel
       to produce color and do not suffer from "the rainbow effect" or "color
       break-up."
    -- Road-Tested Reliability: 3LCD technology has been the world leader for
       19 years and has consistently been the choice of users who demand the
       long-life performance and reliability.


    For more information about 3LCD technology, visit http://www.3LCD.com.

About 3LCD Technology

3LCD is the world's leading projection technology, delivering unbelievably bright and natural color, amazing detail and road-tested reliability. Using an advanced, 3-chip optical engine, 3LCD offers outstanding color for brilliant quality images without the possibility of color break-up. 3LCD is based on LCD technology, which is used by leading manufacturers worldwide for the ultimate viewing experience in flat panel TVs and projectors. To find out why more users choose 3LCD than all other projection technologies combined and to get the latest list of leading companies offering 3LCD technology in their products, visit the 3LCD website at http://www.3LCD.com.